This study examined the nature and frequency of parental recasts to six children with specific language impairment (SLI) compared with normal language learning children at the same language stage (including younger siblings). Children with SLI at early stages of development experienced a simple recast gap in their linguistic input. Qualitative…

Associations between major or minor offending and developmental factors, family characteristics, environmental characteristics, and problem behaviors and symptoms were examined with 180 youth having severe emotional disturbance. Minor offending was associated with increasing age and parental incarceration. Major offending was associated with…

Notes that, to better conceptualize the emotions related to adoption, it is important to understand and consider the ordinal position of an adoptee who is being treated for emotional difficulties. Examines the impact of three categories of ordinal position in adoption; all adjusted children; biological children followed by adopted child; and…

Explores the link between achievement and intimate relationships, with emphasis on older brothers, for rural black females who enter college as first-year students. The article examines the social forces that inspired academic success among women of different class backgrounds attending college and majoring in social work. (GR)

The Infant Behavior Record (IBR) assessed the temperament of 95 nonadoptive and 80 adoptive sibling pairs at 1 and 2 years of age. Data from this and an earlier similar study of identical and fraternal twins yielded evidence for genetic influence for IBR factors of extraversion, activity, and task orientation. (BC)

This study examined the relationship between age-interval between siblings and children's creative abilities, as well as parental views on the creative abilities of 116 children (ages 9-12 years). The study found that larger age intervals resulted in greater creativity and that age intervals also interacted with birth order, family size, and age.…

Assessments of parent and sibling attachments were made when the firstborn child of a two-child family was one, three, and six years old. Sibling conflict and aggression were related to maternal conflict with both children at six years. Affectionate fathering was associated with prosocial sibling interaction. (BC)

In a study of 3- to 5-year-old, firstborn children, the quality of the children's play with peers, engagement in fantasy play with peers, and management of peer conflict predicted the quality of the children's interactions with their 6- and 14-month-old, second-born siblings. (BC)

Reports on a study of siblings in foster care that explored factors relating to the outcomes of sibling placements. Considers implications for the process of successfully placing siblings. (BB)

Examined the relationship between sibling conflict and marital satisfaction, spousal conflict, family emotional climate, and family problem-solving processes that involve siblings. Results indicated that equal treatment by parents, family harmony in family discussions of sibling problems, and parent perceptions of family cohesiveness were…

This article reports a study of the communication development (especially concerning effect of context on content and mean length of utterance) within a family consisting of hearing parents, two hearing daughters, and a newly adopted deaf daughter (aged 2:8-3:0). Findings suggested that play contexts were more conducive to language acquisition…

Mothers of 137 children (with or without a sibling having Down's syndrome) were interviewed regarding their child without Down's syndrome. There were no significant differences between groups regarding expectations of "typical" children, but mothers of girls with a Down's syndrome sibling reported significantly more conduct problems than did other…

Comparison of child abuse histories and home environments of adult males (n=29) referred for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and their non-ADHD brothers found that the two groups did not differ in their reporting of physical punishment, discipline, parental rejection, positive parental contact, or general perception of the home…

Platelet serotonin (5HT) levels of 5 autistic subjects (ages 16-37) who had siblings with either autism or pervasive developmental disorder were significantly higher than levels of 23 autistic subjects without affected siblings. Autistic subjects without affected siblings had 5HT levels significantly higher than 10 normal controls. Sex, age, and…

Fifty-nine girls (age 12 and under) who were associates of victims of sexual abuse received a colposcopic examination. Forty-five of the girls were found to have abnormal genital findings, which were considered specific for sexual abuse in 40 cases. Medical evaluation of siblings and close associates of sexual abuse victims is recommended.…